High stress levels, working days without a lunch break and screaming managers.

About 40 former employees at Expressen direct harsh criticism at the newspaper's work environment in a review of Dagens ETC on Thursday.

The stories come from the last 20 years.

A recurring criticism is that the newspaper does not tolerate critical voices internally, and that sexist jargon and sexual harassment have not been taken seriously by managers and supervisors.

- To advance as a manager, you need to join the men, close your eyes to sexist abuse, bullying, look away from situations that had never been okay in any other industry, says one of the newspaper's sources, who worked at the newspaper for several years.

"Hundreds have worked at Expressen"

Expressen's editor-in-chief Klas Granström rejects the criticism.

He points out, among other things, that the latest work environment surveys give the magazine high marks for, among other things, leadership, the opportunity to speak freely and respect from colleagues and managers.

- Of course, it is sad to hear if people have bad experiences of their time at Expressen, he says to Dagens ETC.

- But we can only take responsibility for the workplace today.

It is impossible for me to relate to anonymous testimonies from 20 years back in time.

Every year, about a hundred journalists pass Expressen's editorial office and I have no doubt that there have been work environment problems and individuals who have been unhappy in recent decades.

Profiled writers on appeal

The investigation of Dagens ETC follows in the footsteps of Expressen's digging reporter Frida Sundkvist being fired from the newspaper this week, according to herself and the Swedish Journalists' Association for leaking information to the media about a now closed sex crime investigation against a manager at the newspaper.

That Sundkvist was fired as a result of talking to the newspaper is denied by Klas Granström.

Both the ETC reporting and Sundkvist's dismissal provoke reactions: In an open letter, six independent Expressen writers now criticize their own newspaper, including Irena Pozar, Cissi Wallin and Katarina Wennstam.

- I chose to sign the letter because what has emerged in ETC's reviews is extremely serious information, Expressen has not taken enough responsibility, says Irena Pozar, writer for Expressen and editor-in-chief of Veckorevyn.

- I worked at Expressen 2015 as an employee, today I am a freelancer.

But I only worked there for a few months because I did not like the work environment that was there and the extremely hierarchical organization.

Then I know that a lot has changed since then.

I have experienced parts of what emerges, even though I myself have not been exposed to sexism.

The six writers demand an external investigation of the newspaper's work environment and an action plan to deal with unequal structures.

Kulturnyheterna is looking for Klas Granström for a comment.